Heavy Table Hot Five: April 27-May 3

Each Friday, this list will track five of the best things Heavy Table’s writers, editors, and photographers have recently bitten or sipped. Have a suggestion for the Hot Five? Email editor@heavytable.com.

The Hot Five is a weekly feature created by the Heavy Table and supported by Shepherd Song Farm.

Amy Rea / Heavy Table

One Love Bowl at Pimento Jamaican Kitchen Pimento Jamaican Kitchen’s One Love bowl is just so satisfying. You get your choice of entrees, and I went with jerk chicken and jerk pork and honestly couldn’t tell which I liked best. The strong, peppery jerk is so tasty, the meats are impossibly tender, and the lightly dressed citrus slaw is the perfect foil. This one’s a keeper.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Amy Rea]

James Norton / Heavy Table

Blue Blood by Indeed Brewing
We’ve been fans of the Wooden Soul series of cask-aged sours at Indeed Brewing from the get-go, and Blue Blood is another fine example of the lineage — yeasty, not too carbonated, and cherry-inflected (almost winey) without too much acidic bite or edge. Pretty beautiful stuff.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted from an Instagram post by James Norton]

James Norton / Heavy Table

Smorgasbord Plate at The Bungalow ClubWe’ve been looking forward to the Craftsman’s successor — a classy but accessible Italian-inspired place called The Bungalow Club — ever since we heard about it a few months ago. It was well worth the wait. The crown jewel of our first visit was a Smorgasbord Plate that did justice to the tremendous charcuterie plates Craftsman chef Mike Phillips used to put out back in the day. The pate was light and airy, the deviled egg spread devilishly delicious (and equally light on the palate), and the pickled veg all profound without being acrid or aggressive.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #1 | Submitted from an Instagram post by James Norton]

James Norton / Heavy Table

Clarity of Purpose by Fair State and SurlyThe result of a Surly/Fair State collaboration, Clarity of Purpose is an effort to create a New England-style IPA with the style’s full body, strong hop aroma, juicy flavor, and mild bitterness, but without any of the haze that drinkers typically see in this sort of beer. Mission accomplished: Although this isn’t as juicy and intense as the style can be, it’s mellow, tropical-fruity, juicy, and hop-kissed without being hazy or in any way astringent.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by James Norton]

James Norton / Heavy Table

California Steakburger at Freddy’s Frozen Custard
The Wichita-based and rapidly expanding Freddy’s franchise is creeping into Minnesota suburbs, so we decided to give it a shot. Although the frozen custard doesn’t measure up to anything out of Wisconsin, the Steakburgers are great, if they’re your style of choice: They’re smashed/thin/charred/steaky-tasting burgers with a lot of texture and flavor. They’re actually so thin that a double is the way to go if you want a full meal (as opposed to the double at Five Guys, which’ll kill ya).
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted from an Instagram post by James Norton]